


Useless Robot

by dc_plus_marvel



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Cute gay shit, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 10:40:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17343812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dc_plus_marvel/pseuds/dc_plus_marvel
Summary: REQUEST: hi!! i love your blog❤️❤️ do you think you can do a cute stony fic??





	Useless Robot

**Author's Note:**

> by mod cas

Tony has feelings, Peter helps out, and Steve wants to know what his gift is.

“Tony!” Tony grabbed Gep and shoved it under the table. He turned around and grabbed whatever chemical was sitting on the table and poured it into the beaker next to him. “Uh… just! Just a sec, Steve!” Tony called out. He stirred the contents of the beaker for a few seconds before pouring it into a test tube held by a utility clamp sitting on the other side of the desk. “And just… Heat that to speed this reaction up so it looks like I’ve been working, and…” the chemical bubbled and promptly blew up. “Tony!” Steve yelled, rushing into the lab. He stopped when he saw Tony, dirt streaking down his face, a few scratches on his hands, and messy hair, standing behind his table. After a second of intense staring, the chemical that ended up on the floor burst into high flames behind Tony. “That’s, uh, that’s supposed to happen…” Tony trailed off. Steve rushed over to the wall with the fire extinguisher and gave it to Tony. “Thanks.” Tony quickly said. Steve glared at him for a few seconds and then responded. “What are you hiding?” Tony acted surprised. “I’m sorry?”

“Tony,” Steve repeated, glaring more intensely, “what are you hiding from me?” “Why would I hide something?” Tony quickly defended himself, voice slightly higher than before. Steve smirked and walked to the door. “Okay, Tones. I see how you wanna play.” Steve said as he closed the door, leaving Tony in the messy lab. Tony reached down under the table and got the small, glowing box out. The tiny robot, whom Tony named Gep, buzzed and whirred a little bit before opening its lid to expose a hollow inside filled with dirt. “Listen, when Steve is in here, you can’t make a noise. Got it? I don’t want him finding you before I’m ready to show him,” Tony said softly, gently setting down the bot. It buzzed and beeped for a couple of seconds while spinning in a circle before calming down. Tony smiled at it and grabbed a small seed packet from one of his drawers, ripped it open, and poured the seeds into his hand. He rummaged through the seeds before picking out three of them. He walked over to a microscope and set the tiny seeds down on a slide. Tony pulled out his phone and called Bruce, practically begging him to come up to the lab. Within minutes, Bruce burst through the door, sweating like crazy.

“Okay, I’m here, what do you need to be done so quickly? What’s the emergency?” He panted, bending over to catch his breath. Tony quickly realized he had not specified that it was not an emergency. “Well, it’s not an emergency. Can you determine what generation these seeds are, and what color they’ll be when they grow and flower?” Bruce groaned and rolled his eyes. “Is this for that stupid gift you’re making Steve?” He asked, exasperated and still catching his breath. “Yeah… Wait, how did you… I haven’t told anybody!” Tony’s expression was worried. Had his secret plan gotten out? Did Peter run his mouth? “Tony, buddy, it’s no secret. And no, to address your fear, it was not Peter. It’s just… obvious.” Tony was relieved he wouldn’t have to reprimand Peter, but he was still confused as to how Bruce found out. Bruce, though smart, was not the best at picking up on social cues, so if he could figure it out, could the rest of the team? “Okay, Tony, you never pause this long, so let me explain. You have… whatever voice… announce Steve’s entrance into the lab. Very loudly. That’s one hint you’re doing something you don’t want him to see.” Bruce walked to the microscope and adjusted the settings. “You two are obviously… not just friends, because, tell me, who would actually believe that you are just taking a ‘guy’s day’ on February fourteenth?” Bruce continued, looking at the seeds and still adjusting the slide. “Another thing, do you seriously think no one would find you bringing a bag of dirt- an actual bag of dirt- into your lab suspicious? You keep this place so clean, that’s just downright asking to be caught. Also, what are these? They’re interesting seeds, I have-” Bruce was cut off. Tony looked displeased with Bruce’s ramblings, and Bruce did not seemingly care. “You asked, buddy. Also, Rhodey told me.” He finally stated. Tony sighed. Bruce grabbed a sheet of paper and drew out a small diagram, and brought Tony’s very short attention span to the markings. “These are the weirdest seeds I’ve ever seen. Because of this piece and this piece, I think I was able to get the colors right, but I’m not one hundred percent sure, so-” Tony cut him off. “Colors, Banner.” “Right, you got red, white, and blue here. Good pick, lovebird.” Bruce said as he walked to the exit. “Oh, hey, how’d your date with Thor go on Thursday?” Tony called out to him, smiling. “Yeah, yeah.” He walked out the door, letting it close behind him before walking away. Tony smirked before grabbing the seeds off the slide and running back to Gep. “Okay, Gep, I’m gonna plant these babies. You don’t open again until they’ve flowered, got it?” Tony gently placed the seeds in the soil. “And let me know when you need water. You already supply enough light, I made sure of that. Three short beeps for water, okay?” Tony calmly addressed the robot, and once he was done planting the seeds, he picked it up and carried it to a shelf in the back corner of the room. Tony wanted to give Gep to Steve as soon as he could, but he just needed a couple of days. The genetically modified seeds would only take two days to grow, and they would flower on the third. They barely needed any space, and they needed less water than most plants. Tony pushed Gep back as far as he could, then went to his table to clean up the soil and ash.

As he walked out of the lab, he went down into the common room, where Clint and Natasha were sitting on the counter eating. “Hey, hey, what did we say about butts on the table?” Tony said, half-joking. “Yours is gonna be kicked if you talk about this one more time.” Natasha retorted. “Yup, that’s fair.” Tony quickly said, walking past the two and into Peter’s room. “Pete?” He yelled, noticing that the shower was on in the bathroom. “Just a sec!” Peter called out. The shower shut off within a minute, and a soaked Peter Parker poked his head around the door, towel pulled up under his arms. “Yeah?” He asked. “Take your time, I need some help with something,” Tony said, and he walked out of the room. Tony walked to the sofa, just a few feet from the table Clint and Natasha sat on, and he sat down. Bucky walked in and sat down next to him. “So,” Bucky said. “What, Bucky?” Tony said, somewhat rudely. “What’s the gift?” Bucky asked, feigning interest. “You’re supposed to be unnoticeable?” Tony asked, chuckling. “In battle, not social situations,” Bucky said, brushing his hair to the side. “Is Steve really that desperate to know?” Tony asked Bucky, who had already stood up. “Yeah. I’m blunt, he should have known not to ask me.” Bucky said back, walking away. “Okay, nice talk, thanks…” Tony yelled after him. He sat in silence for a couple of seconds. “Wow, you guys have great conversations.” Natasha joked. “You jealous of him, Stark?” Clint added. Tony fake-laughed and then quickly came up with a response. “Okay, both of you, go back to painting each other’s nails now.” Clint held his hands up, showing off alternating matte black and sparkly purple nails. “Already done, Stark!” Natasha laughed. Tony rolled his eyes, and Peter walked into the room wearing his Hello-Kitty pajama pants and a dry-fit shirt. “Nice nails, Mr. Barton, I like the purple!” He said, before turning his attention to Tony. “What do you need, Mr. Stark?” He asked. Tony stayed silent for a second and then started to form a response. “Let’s talk in private, kid.” Tony ushered him away from the sofa and into his room. “Mr. Stark, is it an emergency?” Peter asked, intrigued. Tony shook his head. “Why am I asking you this? Okay, I need you to keep Steve out of the lab at all costs.” Tony put his hand over his face, feeling sort of ashamed about his request. “That’s it? I can do that.” Peter said confidently, but he was quite surprised at the easiness of the task. “Thanks, Peter. I’m… I don’t like emotions, and Steve trying to figure out what the gift is just making things stressful.” Tony let out his feelings for a split second, then closed up again. Peter smiled; Tony trusted him enough to open up. “Okay, Mr. Stark, that all makes sense. But also, I have two questions: one, why are you giving him a gift? There’s no holiday, and it’s not his birthday. And two, why don’t you just tell him that he’s stressing you out? He’s a gentle giant, Mr. Stark, and he obviously will do anything to make you happy.” Tony took this information in. Why was he making a gift? Why doesn’t he just tell Steve? “You know what, kid, those are good questions,” Tony said. Peter lit up at that. Tony walked out of the room. “You’re on duty tomorrow in the A.M.” He called out. “You got it, Mr. Stark.”

Gep beeped three times. “Okay, little guy, I’ll get you some.” Tony abandoned the project he’d been working on, an improvement on his suit, and rushed over to the sink with Gep in his hands. He refilled the water compartment, closed it up, and Gep beeped happily. Tony set Gep down on the counter and watched it roll around for a bit. “Hey, Gep, how are the flowers doing?” He asked, checking the security camera angled at the door. Peter sat by the door, messing with some legos. Gep changed its glowing color and a small hologram came up from the top. It showed little sprouts coming up out of the soil, and Tony breathed a sigh of relief. “Good work, Gep. I think this just might work.” Tony said. A light flashed above him, and Tony rushed to put Gep up on its shelf. “Steve is approaching the lab, Sir,” the announcement blared. “Okay, great, thanks, could you turn off that system?” Tony heard silence, then a bang on the wall. Tony glanced up at the security camera footage, and saw Peter on the ceiling, with Steve close behind him. Peter had Steve’s shield on his torso and was crawling as fast as he could away, while Steve, laughing, ran after him. Tony smiled at the footage, seeing two of his favorite people get along. Tony almost got lost in the video, but Gep brought him back to the lab by humming happily. “Gep, can you sing the song I programmed?” Tony asked the robot. Gep beeped once and the glowing light dimmed. The light came on slowly as Gep hummed the tune to “Star Spangled Banner”, finishing with a red, white and blue glow. Tony nearly giggled as he applauded Gep, who ran in circles happily. Tony smiled to himself and grabbed Gep with one hand, carefully. He reached up and put Gep back on its shelf, covering it with a small cloth. He went back to work on his suit just as Peter burst into the lab, sweating, on the ceiling. “I thought that would go better, but he’s so tall! Mr. Stark, I did it, though! He was headed for the door, full gear, and I just grabbed the shield right off his back! And then I yelled ‘Gotcha’ and jumped on the ceiling, because why not, right? And… Mr. Stark?” Peter jumped down to the ground, concerned. Tony was standing at his desk, smiling, with tears in his eyes. He looked at Peter and smiled even wider. “You did so well, kid. I don’t know why I’m so emotional right now, but I’m proud of you. Thank you.” Tony wiped his cheeks as Peter walked to him. Peter pulled Tony into a warm hug, and Tony pulled him close. Steve walked through the door, not even out of breath or sweating, and smiled at the sight of Tony showing emotion. He walked over towards Tony and Peter and gently put his arms around the both of them. As the three broke apart, Peter looked at Tony, then at Steve, and hopped up to the ceiling to get out of the room. “What did I say about that?” Tony warned. Peter hopped down to the floor, face red. “No ceiling crawling unless absolutely necessary so I don’t scare the shit out of you,” Peter said, sadly. Steve chuckled as Peter walked out of the room. “He’s fast!” Steve exclaimed. “Put up a good fight?” Tony asked, proudly. “Put up a good front,” Steve responded quickly, “I know I’ve been kind of annoying lately trying to find out what you’re making me, and I’m sorry. But also, what is it?” Tony sighed and rolled his eyes before hugging Steve. He put his head against Steve’s chest and just stood there. “We’re at the point in our relationship where smushy Stark comes out. I’m emotional, I’m clingy, and worst of all: I’m a sucker for the romantic.” Steve laughed, and Tony could feel his chest move, lungs full, then not. “Tony, I love romantic stuff. I love it when people are clingy, and I’m pretty okay with emotions. Just… trust me, okay? Smushy Stark will feel right at home with me.” Steve pushed Tony off his chest only to gently hold his shoulders and look him in the eyes. Tony loved it when Steve did that; it was the perfect opportunity for a kiss. He leaned in but was interrupted by Bruce walking into the lab. Tony and Steve were practically frozen in place, while Bruce moved about. “Sorry, ‘scuse me, need this, okay, bye…” He left the room, and Steve planted a quick kiss on Tony’s forehead. Tony looked betrayed. “Wha-?” Steve cut him off. “You get the kiss when I get my gift!” Steve said, walking to the door. Tony looked back and forth between Steve and Gep, unsure of what to do. “Wait, Steve!”

Tony grabbed Gep off of its shelf and pressed a small button on the bottom before setting it down. The button turned off all communications except for water and made it into a practically useless box. “Here,” Tony said, “Your gift is this.” Tony glanced at Steve and hoped he bought it. “Tony…” Steve whispered, staring at the box, “I love it.” “What?” Tony was surprised. Why on earth would Steve love it? It’s a box, a useless box, as of right now. “Why?” Tony asked. “Well, you made it! And it’s a gift, Tony, why wouldn’t I love it?” Steve smiled at Tony, grabbing Gep off the table and examining it. “It has to stay on this side, Cap,” Tony said quietly, turning Gep right side up, “And it’s absolutely useless. Why would you want something useless?” Steve looked up at Tony and narrowed his eyes. He thought about his answer for a second. “Because none of your robots are useless, Tony, this one is no different. I just haven’t found its purpose yet. And, since you’re calling it useless, you haven’t, either.” Tony just stared at Steve, and at the profound statement, he just said. Steve understood each and every invention had a purpose, no matter how big or small, and he also understood that sometimes, Tony didn’t even know what he was doing. His brain just moved, and he did what it said. The purpose often revealed itself later. Steve pulled Tony into a hug and then walked out, Gep in hand. “If it beeps three times, bring it to me immediately!” Tony called out to Steve, who agreed and continued on. Tony sat down in a chair, which was a rare occasion for him, and slipped into deep thought. His mind was racing, thoughts of how to improve his suit and how to make Steve happy collided, and his brain just kept going. Tony was starting to get a headache. He grabbed a bottle of Advil and took two, and then just laid his head down on the table nearest to him. He wasn’t going to sleep, he barely did that anyway. Tony told himself over and over that he wasn’t going to fall asleep, but he did anyway.

He woke with a start in his own bed. He looked up at the clock, which read 4:00 A.M, and then looked around. Tony was certain he fell asleep in his lab. As he moved his hands to pull the sheets off himself, he found a small note on the bed. Tony, it read, Found you in the lab, fast asleep. The box beeped three times, I tried to wake you, but you’re a heavy sleeper. I took it to Dr. Banner, he said he’d fix it. He gave it back a few minutes later. You looked so uncomfortable, so I moved you in here. Hope that helped. Two more advil next to you, take them when you wake up. PS: You cuddle when you sleep. Love, Steve. Tony giggled a bit, smiling at the thought of Steve carrying him bridal style to his bed. He grabbed the two pills and took them to calm down the pain at the back of his neck. As he stood up, he noticed that Steve had neatly set his shoes down on the floor before setting him into his bed. Tony slipped them on and walked out of his room. He went through a hallway and to Steve’s door. He stopped before entering and peeked through the crack in the door. Steve sat at his desk, holding Gep very gently. He was examining every part of it, while still keeping it upright. Steve noticed the small hologram projector on the back and took a note of it on a sheet of paper. Tony knocked and entered the room. Steve looked at Tony and then back at Gep. “There are so many details, but I don’t know what they mean. There’s hinges, this projector, more hinges, a slot on the side, and a slight glow from inside.” Tony knew Steve could have easily torn the box open, but Steve knew Tony’s inventions were precious and meaningful. Tony grinned at Steve. “Dinner, tonight at 8:00?” “Where?” Steve asked. “How about right here?” Tony replied. “Works for me, tin can.” Steve joked. “I’m going to go to the gym around five, I’ll be there until eight, then I’m going for lunch. After that, I’m spending the day with Sam and Bucky. I’ll be here for dinner at eight.” He explained to Tony. “I’ll be in my Lab or in the kitchen at any given point today,” Tony said back, and Steve smiled. “Predictable man…” Steve said warmly. Tony snorted and walked out of the room, excited for dinner.

Peter ran to the kitchen, where Tony was calmly cooking. “Mr. Rogers has the… The box, Gep! He, uh, he’s with Sam right now, and… I, uh, I’m…” Peter looked at Tony, who showed no change in emotion. “Yeah, I gave it to him. Thanks, kid.” Tony responded bluntly. “I ran… from Captain America yesterday… with his shield… and you give the box to him?” Peter asked, aghast. Tony frowned and motioned for Peter to come closer. Tony leaned in. “Yes. Now, do you know how to make pie?” Peter laughed, astonished at Tony’s change of personality from the day before. “Yeah, I can make a pie. What flavor?” Peter asked. “Apple pie, please and thanks.” Peter got to work immediately while Tony finished up the pasta he was working on. He moved onto the tomato sauce, and then onto green beans. Tony hated them, but Steve was a fan. Peter and Tony spent a couple of hours in the kitchen before finishing up, and they were exhausted by the end. All the food was prepared for dinner, and all Tony had left to do was set it up. It was 6:00, and Tony knew he would only need an hour to set up. He pulled Peter to the sofa and they sat down and turned on the news. Just mild occurrences in the city showed up, and Peter promptly fell asleep with his head on Tony’s shoulder. Tony put his arm around Peter and slowly drifted off, headache subsiding. He woke with five minutes to 7:00, and slid his arm out from behind Peter. Peter, always extra sensitive due to his ‘spidey senses’, woke up immediately. Peter pulled out his phone and checked the time, then jumped up. “I’ll get the table!” He said, jumping onto the wall and crawling away. “Hey, Pete, what did I-” Tony started, but Peter interrupted. “This is a wall, not a ceiling! And, I’m helping you, Mr. Stark.” Peter yelled back. Tony sighed and walked to Steve’s room, clearing some space and pulling out two candles from the closet. “He’s from, what, the eighteen hundreds? Who has multiple candles in their closet?” Tony said, rather sassily. Peter walked in on the ceiling, carrying the table a foot off of the ground. “It’s easier like this, trust me,” Peter explained, to the already agitated Tony. “This is a warning,” Tony said, tone serious. They set up the table, two chairs, the candles, and got the plates and silverware out. Tony and Peter carried all the food to the table, including the pie, and Tony sat down. “Peter,” Tony pulled his lips tight, “Thank you. It means a lot that you helped set this up.” Peter smiled at Tony and pushed his hair straight back out of his eyes. “Of course, Mr. Stark. I mean, you’re practically my dad, so… No, that’s weird, sorry, I… I’m happy to help.” Peter went to get out of the room, but before he could, Tony added on. “No, no, not weird. I care about you, kid. You’re practically my son. I mean, we have Thor convinced, so… thanks.” Tony finished. Peter smiled and walked out, passing Steve on his way in. “Pete,” Steve nodded. Steve walked in, carrying Gep, and sat down at his seat. “Tony, this is… impressive.” Steve whispered. “It’s for an impressive man, Steve…” Tony started. “Aw, Tones,” Steve said, expecting a cute response. “Me.” Tony finished his sentence. Steve rolled his eyes and sighed at his egotistical boyfriend. “So, why are we having dinner here?” Steve asked Tony inquisitively. For a second, Tony didn’t have a response. He just looked at Steve’s sparkling eyes. “Oh, right, because you need to meet Gep.” Steve was taken aback. “Who?” Tony realized he hadn’t told Steve anything about the bot. “Yeah, lemme see the box? Just for a second.” Steve carefully handed it over, and Tony pressed the button on the bottom. He set the bot down on the floor, and Gep came to life. “Hey, Gep, buddy! Has Steve treated you well?” The bot beeped and whirled around, making happy noises. Steve’s faces were engulfed in wonder. His eyes reminded Tony of a baby’s eyes, taking in everything, full of wonder and amazement. Steve saw the joy in the world and in Tony’s bots. Gep ran to Tony’s foot and bumped it. “Yeah, I think it’s time. Go ahead, bud! Sing your song!” Tony prodded the robot. It went up to Steve's feet and the glowing light faded out. a soft red, white, and blue showed up, growing brighter as the Star Spangled Banner progressed. The soft whistle grew louder near the end of the song, and then at the end, the top opened up to reveal three small flowers, arranged in the shape of a heart. Red, white, blue, and tiny, the flowers looked so beautiful inside the box. Steve’s eyes filled with tears as Gep rolled around on the floor, happily humming. Tony applauded the tiny robot and Steve joined in. As they ate, Steve looked at Tony and blushed. “What?” Tony asked. “I think that it was logical Stark that called Gep useless.” Steve said, taking a bite. After he finished chewing, he continued. “Smushy Stark made this box, and Logical Stark was wrong. Gep is the most useful bot you’ve made me. It’s gonna remind me how much you love me every day.” Steve shoved some more pasta into his mouth, and Tony just sat, looking at him, speechless. “Yeah, I guess it’s not really a useless robot after all.” He smiled and started to eat.

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: why is Gep named that way? say it backwards.


End file.
